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The Ratman of Southend
''The Ratman of Southend'' by TheDarkCat97 They say that when something awful happens, it can leave behind a trace. Energy burned into rock, to be replayed only for a few souls to witness. This is a story that has been passed on for years. You ask most people, they will tell you it happened in the underpass at the entrance to South Church Road. That is where it lives to this day. The legend has two main variants, the commonality between them being the presence of a rat-like creature who appears in the pedestrian walkways at night. Possible Legends The most commonly told story of the Ratman involves an old man who used the underpass to escape from the rain and the cold at nights. The story goes that he was old and barely able to walk. One night a group of teenagers beat him half to death and stole his blanket, the only real source of warmth he had. Dying from his injuries and the biting cold of the night, he succumbed to hypothermia - his stiffening corpse nibbled and gnawed on by the numerous vermin who inhabit the area. Soon after, locals reported odd noises. Namely, high-pitched squealing and the sound of nails dragging along the walls. Whether evidence of a real ghost or an overactive imagination, the fact remains that this story and subsequent noises led to locals dubbing the creature the Ratman of Southend. The other main version of the story is far more fanciful and seems to have emerged through schoolyard folklore, a tale passed between children to frighten and unnerve their classmates. In this version, the Ratman is no longer a ghost, but a real creature. The story goes that the mayor of the town was a known adulterer and was eventually cursed for his infidelity in the form of a grotesque child, a baby with the elongated snout and worm-like tail of a rat. The child grew and developed a taste for flesh. Seeking a solution to his problem, the Mayor had the underpass constructed with a concealed entrance to a chamber, within which his monstrous offspring might hide, only to emerge at night to indulge in its hunger. My Encounter With The Ratman One night in 2002, while at my best friend’s house, four fellow companions showed up. Bored and looking for something to do, we suggested they visit the underpass. This location was only a short walk from the house, (five or six miles), and was a local favorite amongst late night stories. They agreed and were soon walking out of sight. About six hours later, they returned to our house with only one occupant. Assuming he had taken the girls home, and that he was ready to party, we went out, anxious to greet him. What we saw is something I'll never forget; my friend's shirt and pants were ripped, he had huge slashes on his back, and I can tell he was hysterical. We immediately ran over to him, to see if Michael was alright. However, Michael was just sitting on the sidewalk, saying stuff like, 'I saw it, I saw it, I saw it!'. After several minutes of consistent badgering, we finally got him to talk. He, Tamera, Kevin, and Jenny arrived at the underpass. They began to make some sort of noise, trying to summon the legendary Ratman. After about 15 minutes of not seeing anything, they decided to go in and look for themselves. What happened next was truly incredible, and if I hadn't of known Michael all my life, and seen his injuries, I would not have believed him. While walking inside the underpass, Michael said he got the feeling they were being watched. He immediately stopped and told everyone to be quiet. Looking around and evaluating the situation, he discovered what appeared to be two eyes staring at them off in the distance. These eyes seemed to be reflecting their flashlights, and were of a color that he said to be indescribable. The girls panicked, and began to run back to the entrance. Michael was quick to follow, and soon after he turned away there was a horrible scream from the direction of the eyes. He described it as almost being a cry from an intelligent animal. Too afraid to turn around, he picked up the pace as he ran to the entrance. When he got there, the girls were already outside, screaming for him to get out and leave. As he was trying to run out, he heard what seemed to be the sounds of bare feet running in their direction. He felt something slam against his back and he fell to the ground, and felt something pull him back inside by his ankles. The girls began throwing rocks at whatever is attack Michael, and it soon let go. Getting back up, Michael ran out of the underpass like a football player. Suddenly, a figure appeared in the underpass behind them. Too afraid to stop, Michael and the girls quickened their pace as it continued to pursue them. After hearing this and seeing Michael's condition, Sam and I immediately felt this deserved a second look. Michael told us he would never return to that underpass again, but if we wanted to risk our lives to go right ahead. Grabbing two flashlights, and a pair of shotguns (these were the biggest weapons my father had) we made our way for the underpass. As we drew closer, the first thing we noticed as the underpass drew near, were the numerous amounts of blood on the concrete. However, these were the only signs of evidence we could find. Upon investigation of the underpass by foot, (and shotguns) we discovered what seemed to be several scratch marks by some large animal leading outside. After several hours of looking and not finding anything else, we returned to the house. By this time Michael had already found his way home, and we lay in bed, too excited to sleep. To this day, none of the four individuals involved in this story have returned to the underpass. Did Michael actually see and got attacked by the Ratman that night, or was it merely a joke by a prankster? All I know is that something was there that night, and it scared our friends half to death. Category:Beings Category:Ghosts Category:Monsters Category:Locations Category:Original Category:TheDarkCat97